Multiple-cavity semiconductor laser capable of generating ultrashort light pulse train with ultrahigh repetition rate
US5586138A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 6, 1995 |
| Grant date | Dec 17, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 6, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S5/0601
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A semiconductor laser is provided which is capable of generating a train of ultrashort light pulses with an ultrahigh repetition frequency and which is useful in optical communications and optical information processing. The semiconductor laser is a mode-locked semiconductor laser which has two resonator cavities which are formed by two facets and a distributed feedback structure between these two facets. The length of the resonator cavity formed between one facet and the distributed feedback structure is 1/m (where m is an integer) of the length of the resonator cavity formed by the other facet and the distributed feedback structure. A saturable absorption region and a high-frequency modulation region are provided within the longer of the resonator cavities. By making the high-frequency modulation frequency be equal to the round trip frequency of the light within the longer resonator cavity, mode-locked operation is achieved. Because of the linking of the shorter resonator cavity, a train of light pulses having a repetition frequency of m times the mode-locked pulse train frequency is obtained.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.